Greatwater Lake Fortune Favors

OOC: @Ariston ..not the stubborn, it would seem. But it was quite content to condemn one to a hungered state. Had fortune been a more accommodating she might have found herself fed, lounging comfortably within the snow she had chosen to make her bed. Although it could have been as simple as her reservations being bent, a give on her part... but of course it often meant that the brittle and rigid would break. She dared not even entertain the thoughts of what a mess that would have made. If she were to allow her mind to wander, it would not have gone back but forward instead. Always forward lest the demons of her decisions came nipping at her heels. Thus, she kept her mind a blank was she wandered, disregarding the weathered state of her paws, their ache and blister, to instead take note of the ice and snow. The frigid air as the lands themselves seemed to breathe, the crisp scent of water as she was led by its lure. She was not yet upon though lapped her muzzle none the less, tasting flecks of snow as her clung to he whiskers as well as the grime from days without grooming. If anything, the prospect of water offered a bit of improvement to her state. A dip, let along a drink might have done her well. At least enough to bring her distant mind to its senses again. Deprivation tended to make the mind drift when not fixed on something more worthwhile She approached the lake just as the eve began to set, drawing the close to the day with muted hues of violet and orange. Upon the surface of the lake, she spied the reflection of the falling star, its radiance dwindling to rest that it might rise in the morning with renewed vigor and light. She recalled such lights always brought a certain ease when she lived within the mountain. The sunlight warmed the dark ridges of the peaks, softening them to make them more pleasing to the eyes. Reminding the female that not all within the world was dark and cruel. There would always be something akin to the sun to chase away the hard and cold. Choosing to remember this, she forgot her thirst for a moment longer, and instead reclined along the snowy banks of the lake to watch the final light of the day drift down.

The ranks were filled and teeming with wolves that hardly knew one another by name - most certainly not his - and their numbers were a cultivated swirl of mismatched egos and countering ambitions. The winter was supposedly a valued season; it brought together lone figures in a climactic campaign against the harsh elements. Its purpose, so he'd once heard, was to promote a unity that would bleed into the lax days of springtime...when the lovely feelings of companionship inspired one another to care for offspring that was not their own.

Unfortunately the sudden rise of strangers had an opposing effect on the mild mannered Ariston. He lacked sharpness in his voice. He was void of moodiness or "badassery". His ambitions fell short of the typical male persona, the essence of gruffness, and as a result he fell away from them with a discouraged feeling lodged in his chest. He could not help but wander during periods of restlessness within the pack. Beyond the borders, where the scent of the earth was not strangled by the odors of wolves, he felt a settling in his heart...a flicker of peace that worked out all the little knots and kinks of his gathered shoulders.

It was upon the bank side of the nearby lake that he first saw her. The russet spine caught his attention first...although it did not take long for him to note the golden contrast that split away from its mahogany topper. The tufts of her hair were curly, an unusual texture, and he was for a moment uncertain of the breeding that would produce such an uncanny clash of colors with the fine, coiling twists of hairs along with it. He lingered on the mystery for but a few moments longer before smiling amiably at the she wolf while she worked; the mildness of his greeting to be blamed on not knowing whether or not she was ready to acknowledge him.

set by Emy

Below the snow, the radiant body would sleep and allow for a time the silvery body of the moon to have her rise. Patiently waiting, the pair would have their dance, one taking a turn to bring life to the world, whilst the other would sway softly to lull that life to sleep. It was that dancer she waited for, long after the sun had slipped below, she waited. Her form an autumn rock sat atop the frozen banks, waiting patiently, kindly, for the mistress of night to lull her gently. As she sighed the cool touch of the air would grace her tongue, stirring her listless mind away for a moment and remind her of the reason she had followed the scent of water; she needed to drink. However stubborn her convictions, she would not live for long without the nurturing remedy to her parched, cracking tongue. Carefully she pushed herself to stand minding the weary creak of her bones, and inched gingerly toward the shores, being mindful of her thread across the ice. She had only just lowered her muzzle to the lapping waters, til a kind wind stirred for her and bring with it another scent. Visibly she stiffened though her ears bent back and her tail bristled at its tip. She did not yet turn but glimpse from the corner of her, until she felt brave enough to bring her crown high and spy just what it was that carried its scent on the wind. White within white. Pale natural flecks adorning a lupine form standing a comfortable breadth away.

His jaw clenched with unspoken worry upon her approach of the partially frozen shore. One misstep, one fault tilt of weight, and she would surely plunge into the dark water...a folly that he knew already he was not apt enough to make well. He was large and able bodied but not to the point of being able to counter the femme's equally sizeable stature. They'd both drown...a conclusion he was not yet willing to commit to for the wordless stranger.

She turned to regard him with an expression of neutral indifference which, in his opinion, was preferable to the snarl of a lip that he'd half expected. He chuffed at her, still abstaining from words, and though he felt a slight kinship with her solitary being he made no other move aside from the faint wavering of his plume.

set by Emy

However callus her paws, they were not tough enough to omit any sensation completely. It was a special numbness, like when one fell asleep on their limb; you could still feel something, dulled at best, but it was enough to draw attention to the cause. For the large female, it was the shift of ice. That subtle crack beneath the surface that told too much pressure was being applied. One slip of the paw or too heavy a push and undoubtedly she would have found herself looking up to the heavens from watery place. She could certainly do without that. It would not have done her any good to accept the embrace of death when she had only just struggled to avoid it. However, she was deliberate with her movements, retracting a back leg as she inched her way back, minding the audible crick of the ice til she stood one more stable grounds. She turned to the male then, her brush with a possible death dismissed as just as easily. Her bi-colored orbs stood stark against the waning light, shifting only slightly to take note of the male's low lying banner. Her own twisting passively until it curled against her thigh as she brought herself down to sit. Her gaze remained fixed on him, neither cruel nor threatening, but observant. As was her expression. Cool but observant. Her head tipped slightly in question.

Her hazardous trek, though carried out with a graceful purposefulness akin to a breeze whispering along the earth, practically set his nape on fire with anxiety. She seemed overly unimpressed with the threatening melody of crackling ice beneath her; each accent of shifted crystal making his entire muscular skeleton clamp in preparation for (futile) launch. Her facade was one of apathy, of careless abandon to her physical well being, and when she was completely safe a heavy sigh of relief eluded him. "I'll pee myself," he said compulsively. "If you go through that ice. Don't make me do that."

set by Emy

Soon enough she was given an answer to an unasked question, though she couldn't imagine how her own condition would cause another to relieve himself. Her brow crested slightly as her ears fanned back. "...why is that?" she asked quietly, hardly letting her voice rise above whisper. To see another fall, would it have been that frightening? Her tail twitched lightly, brushing the matted fur of her thigh then settled again atop her paws. Absently, she slipped her claws into the softer soil til the black talons were buried under the pale sheet of snow. Numbing as it was, it was strangely relieving, and brought in retrospect the terror she had only just escaped. She should have know better than the thread carelessly atop the ice. However dire her need.

Audits lurched forward to embrace the sweet whisper of his inquiry. He felt an inkling of surprise that a she wolf of such stature would carry a voice so soft...it was as divergent as the two-toning of her pelt. And yet the susserate of her voice was befitting of the delicate contours of her face; the indifference of her expression abated by the tinge of interest betrayed by her hardly discernible question. His own articulation was strong and steady...it fell from his lips with a confidence he'd seemingly been born with. "Because I would worry," he said with a plain little nod to drive home his point.

set by Emy

Hardly a few words had been shared and once again the she-wolf was at a loss of how to take this male before her. Worried? Worry was a parental trait, something that encompassed their senses when their offspring was small an vulnerable. Worry was what leaders had for their reputation among their followers. They could afford that luxury for even the smallest thing. Worry was what mothers had for the lives they carried. They concerned themselves with the well-being of the unborn in the hopes that their feeding and care of themselves would eventually birth the pups healthy and whole. In all sense of worry, it was in direct correlation of those that expressed this sensation. Never had she known for a complete strange to worry to openly... especially for her. This was certainly new. "I do not understand..." her brows furrowed slightly as she openly expressed her thought. For good measure she looked behind her to make sure there was no other across the lake she hadn't seen before. Certainly that would have made more sense. His worry stemming from the careless actions of the female that might have endangered another. Or perhaps she was simply that naive.

Ax was born and raised in a world that celebrated him. He was cherished and his parents had been openly affectionate. They did not breed because they had to prolong a family lineage...the bred out of love. His entire whelping period was not a precursor to a warrior's life; he was given free reign to choose his path and the continued support from family no matter which direction he took. So it was only natural that he felt concern about his well being. He'd only ever known a life where he would be missed when he was gone.

This was obviously not an existence that his audience had a lot of experience with. She seemed doubtful of his reasoning...the unorthodox nature of her quiet replies making him shake his head in patient dubiety. "How so?" he asked as his flanks pulled tight so that he could sit and wrap his plume methodically around his forepaws. "You're important...just as the air we breathe or the food we eat. You exist."

His face contorted with a high arch in his brow as though he was in a state of disbelief that she was seemingly unaware of his final statement.

"You matter."

set by Emy

To exist, for the female, was not the same as the constant living force that was the air or land. To exist, as she learned through relentless repetition, was to fulfill a purpose either directed or discovered. Else there was no reason to look upon oneself. Without fulfillment of that purpose, there was no existence only a waste of fur and flesh and bone. She, as she knew it, did not exist in such a profound way. And thus did not believe herself to 'matter'. Her brows betrayed her calm, telling of her confusion however sincere and believed his expression. She mattered? Her tail flicked passively as the whole of her shuffled uncomfortably. "To matter means to hold an essential place," she whispered. "It means that without that presence, others would fall to a disadvantage. A leader to a pack. A hunter to its family. A careless life lost would not hold the same impact." Again she shuffled, but bore nothing of her discomfort other than a slight twitch of her tail. She sounded neither sorrowful nor pitying of her views on herself. She had heard it enough from the mouths of others, that it was almost natural to regard herself in such a manner. If there was a sentiment of herself that warranted worry or care, it was that she was a breeder, and upon her death, the world, a pack, would be at a loss of one.

So sorry my reply took so long! Good news: I found out what my daughter had this morning. Bad news: Strep throat @_@;; She's on antibiotics now so I hope she'll recover quickly!

"Well we as wolves in a whole exist to tend the organic garden of the earth," he said with an unusually scholar-like seriousness. "We inoculate herds that are hindered by their sick or injured so that they may thrive. We fertilize the first with our waste and then with our bodies in death. We lay claims to plots of land and care for it as tended as our own children. That alone makes you matter...if only to the earth itself. But its opinion is pretty damn important if you ask me."

He tipped his head to the side and studied the confusion that swam on his audience's features...though he couldn't pin down what exactly had caused her to be perplexed. "And you as a single entity matter to me. Maybe someday I'll tell you why. But you'll have to take care of yourself if you want to live long for that. "His voice was diluted with a thin, charming smile and the forward pressing of his ears to catch any of her feeble words of reply.

set by Emy

OOC:Oh good! I'm glad all is well! This [Song] was so playing in the background as I was writing. I shall now envision this playing for the remainder of this thread. Never had the importance of a wolf’s life been conveyed to her like this. She could hardly withhold the shock from her face. And how easily he spoke… it was as though these knowledge was something that being knew. That the role of the wolf was respected and understood by all, save herself. Only ever told of her lacking worth, this new tale of things opened her eyes considerably. In awe, the female sank to the earth, her head lowered and body hunched much like a pup would make themselves comfortable before a story. Her ears came forward, her eyes wide and searching. Her senses stretched, receiving all impressions to solidify this moment eternally in her mind. In truth, she had never believed to have mattered to anyone, not even her sire in the end of things. But to matter to one… to a completed stranger no less… “Can you not tell me now?” she shuffled in place with anticipation, her attention fully captured and maintained by intrigue. How was she to take care of herself as a wanderer? The days of a nomad were never promised, but a gift. Each day, hour, minute was a contest against the great plan of their ancestors; to have them fall in line with a family and be a part of its graces. A shortened chance of survival was their penance for betraying the hope of their forbearers. And lest they smite her down in due time, she wanted to pass from the world not with the regret of not knowing, but the ease of having an answer.

Ah I like it!

No words could properly articulate the feelings that welled inside Ariston's heart the moment Xi's face betrayed the cool loftiness that it'd possessed until that singular moment when astonishment bled into the dim lighting of their rendezvous. He had reached her somehow, her amour baring chinks, and with her vulnerability came a fondness of her that he hadn't been expecting. Ariston found her quite cute in her eagerness...a shadow of red bloomed across the bridge of his nose accordingly.

"Perhaps I will tell you one of the reasons," he said with a purposeful slowness. He wanted to prolong that moment where her eyes looked into his, seeking answers, the flicker within them reaching to him with an intimacy that he'd entertained but only a few times in his (still yet short) life. "Your name," he bargained. "I would like your name in exchange."

set by Emy

The spell he cast upon her by the verses strung sincerely left the female with bated breath, anticipating what more he might share on her request. Obsidian claws caressed through snow to grace earth as she waited. Her eyes were trained on his muzzle, the brilliance of his eyes, entranced by the hope that what more he may offer would gift to her a new sense of purpose. That there was more to the wanderer’s life than endless travel. That she had not been mistaken in shedding herself from the futureless existence upon the mountain. And he would tell her more, her ears perked as he said this. All he asked in turn was a small, simply price. She paid without hesitation. “Xi’nuata,” she uttered quietly. “…Nuata if you’d like.” OOC: (see-noo-ah-tah)

The soft gleam of his teeth as lips pulled back into a smile animated his features at the compliance of her name. The utterance was as soft as her words used before, though fringed with delicate urgency, and his mind clutched the knowledge of her identity with ferocious satisfaction. The title she bore was as elegant and foreign as the body that possessed it; the name was a lofty one that certainly fitted her unique appearance. "I think I might go with Nuata," he replied in a voice that had softened like her own. "Seems to me that those who refer to you by that alias are a touch more special to you than those who brandish your formal name."

It was bold of him to speak in such a way but he did it with the same flippancy used to breathe. His plume slipped along the soil and birthed a rustling in their shared silence...his left audit flicking with mild interest in the primitive hooting of an unseen owl nestled in the branches above. "You matter to me because you've gone from an apathetic shell to captive audience in almost a single moment. Your eyes were empty...though now they flicker with interest. Your voice was hardly discernible from the wind but just now you spoke your name with purpose. Your posture was subdued and now it is alive."

He felt his comparisons were growing lengthy but he spoke on with a passion that rose with the soft volume of his voice. "You made me feel as if I could make a difference for once," he finished bravely, "and that makes you precious to me."

set by Emy

The female without purpose found herself at a lost, unable to look away as the awe yawned over her muzzle. She had changed? In only the span of a few moments? She would not have believed such a thing were possible in so short a time. Yet the proof itself was difficult to ignore. Even from the depths of herself, she could feel the change, this startling evolution inspired by another. And he was glad for it. For it was in her growth that he believed his own existence mattered and found something purposeful to hold to. Her existence bringing purpose to another; she never would have though the like were possible had it not just transpired. Had he not been so grateful. Her ears drifted back as composure recalled her, returning her not to the full countenance of indifference, but to a state of ease relative to one that might have sat in the company of a packmate. “If I’m to be responsible for assisting in your enlightenment,” she assumed in but a whisper. “Perhaps I should know your calling… that I may remember it.”

Her metamorphosis was a beautiful thing to witness; it was as soundless as the sun rising in the morning, radiant and warm as the dawn, with a complexity too coy for words to genuinely depict. His discussion was not one swathed with ulterior motive or with means to disarm her for future betrayal...rather she was renewing the vigor of his true calling in care giving. A relieved sigh blessed his lips as she found satisfaction - he dared to toy with the term truth - in his elocution and rewarded him with the inquisitiveness of his name.

"Ariston," he obliged with a faint nod of his muzzle. "Although if you'd like you may call me Ax...just as I'd like you call you Nuata."

set by Emy

“Ariston.” The name rolled softly from her tongue as verse of a well sung song. Each syllable tested to bring to commit the sound to memory where it might lie in comfort til fondly resurfaced. Weathered lips curled with the faintest of smiles to complement the quick whisk of the tail til it tucked just beneath a folded haunch. She preferred his given name, as it played much more kindly upon her ears. A song, as opposed to a sound, that she might better remember. “Thank you. I will remember it.” No doubt was present as she returned her gaze to the bridge of his muzzle. Her adorned smile brightened all the more as she received him… though it was the internal pull of time that inviting the female to stand once more on lengthy limbs. “I too will remember that there is one that I matter to,” she dipped her head slightly. “The winter is cruel, though I will weather it. In spring, if not before, I shall see you again.” She lowered her muzzle politely before her dismissal, granting him the image of respect that was deserved by his kind, enlightening words. She offered a final smile and glance as she turned, then proceeded forward with purpose; nose closer to the ground and bodied lowered as she sought to trail a scent. [Exit Xi'nuata]

I have determined that Ax will cling to your character like glue if given the chance xDD Will archive now!

He watched her go with a pained feeling in his heart. She, and she alone, had been the only wolf aside from Hawkeye who hadn't treated his presence as some sort of blight in their timeline. He made a step forward as if to follow before catching himself...looking dumbly at the single paw that had stretched out to take off after her.

He belonged with Blacktail Deer Plateau.

...or did he?

"Please don't forget," he whispered into the silence before turning and slinking slowly back to the pack that claimed him.

set by Emy